12 comments:

Angelyne, you mention countries like Iran, where societal attitudes work to keep women from obtaining their full potential - how do we combat these cultural conceptions and enlist local women in changing the way their society views women's human rights andf healthcare?

Another question: I'm pretty sure the U.S. does support some efforts to improve the status of women and their health (USAID does some of this work, for example); is there something essential about UNFPA's methods which aren't practiced by US gov't efforts, or is the issue simply one of quantity and not quality?

Thanks for your question, Theresa. We believe that most countries do recognize the value of women, both to their families and to the country as a whole. Unfortunately, there are societies in which some men believe it's easier and cheaper to get a new wife than save the one who is dying.

When countries devote resourses to women's health, a slow change begins in which the status of women begins to improve over time.

Unfortunately, the biggest challenges for many countries is that they simply lack the resources.

Hi Abby, Thanks for your question. In a single decade (1994-2004) UNFPA programs reduced maternal death in six countries: Bolivia, Egypt, Indonesia, Jamaica, Mongolia and Zimbabwe. I actually had the opportunity to travel to Mongolia last year and see first hand the remarkable ways in which maternal heath is being addressed. You might enjoy viewing a short video from my trip at the following link: http://www.americansforunfpa.org/NetCommunity/Page.aspx?pid=593&srcid=414-Angeline